If you love the idea of turning up to a secret gig to see three rising stars perform then Sofar Sounds is for you.

Sofar is a unique, international music community in 140 cities across the world which organises intimate shows that give acts the chance to play in front of an attentive, enthusiastic, music-loving audience.

Every month music fans can apply online to attend a show being hosted in a city near them - from Newcastle to Sydney, San Francisco to Manilla - and be in with the chance of joining Sofar for the evening.

Sofar - Songs From A Room - host secret intimate gigs in unique spaces which can range from a bar, a shop, a cafe or even someone’s living room and has been running in Newcastle since 2013.

Musician Mat Hunsley is the man behind Sofar Sounds Newcastle and the singer-songwriter is incredibly passionate about getting people to experience live music in intimate settings.

He explained: “I found Sofar’s content on YouTube several years ago now and remember just thinking ‘that’s a pretty cool idea, I’d love to have some of my favourite play in my living room’. It wasn’t until 2013 that I finally got around to attending a Sofar event in the flesh and that was in Leeds. The night was brilliant and I found three acts that were completely new to me all of whom I couldn’t wait to listen to again!

“After the show I spoke to the hosts and they gave me all the details to get in touch with Sofar founder and chief Rafe Offer. The next day I contacted Rafe and began the process of building Sofar Newcastle - the very first show was in October 2013 and the audience was almost entirely made up of friends of mine - and two years and 15 shows later, here we are.”

Sofar Sounds Newcastle has come a long way over the last two years and it now runs monthly shows for between 50 and 100 guests whilst striving to maintain the unique intimate nature of Sofar events.

The Lake Poets (Image: Ian West)

It has put on some of the very best acts from the North East including: Tessera Skies, A Festival A Parade, The Lake Poets, Eva Stone, Gallery Circus, Shields, Cape Cub and Lilliput as well as welcoming some talented artists from outside the region.

One of the best things about Sofar Sounds is that it is all about the music, allowing artists to perform to an attentive audience rather than having to battle over the noise of an excited crowd when they play shows.

Mat said: “For me Sofar is one of very few platforms where emerging (and sometimes very experienced) acts can play to an attentive audience. I certainly haven’t been to, or played at, many other shows where the guests have watched in complete and utter spellbound silence. It’s amazing to just be in the room when the right person is playing to the right crowd and the whole evening is all about the music. That is what makes Sofar special in my opinion. There is nothing quite like it.”

Due to Sofar’s ever-expanding community Mat never has to worry about filling places for his events, although sometimes he has to disappoint some of the applicants through a lack of space as it can be difficult to find the right venue. But he has found some amazing places and even has his own venue wish list.

He said: “In Newcastle there are some fantastic spaces, each more unique than the rest. At the very beginning we spent our Sofar evenings in a number of cosy living rooms, enjoying some home comforts. Since then we’ve worked with some brilliant hosts: Quilliam Brother’s, The Glamorous Owl, The Assembly Rooms and The Butterfly Cabinet to name a few. There are some big places on my ‘venue wish list’ though, the main one being Tyneside Cinema. How great would that be?”